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Safety Committee Charter

HIGHLAND LAKES FLYERS INC.

A CHARTER TO ESTABLISH A SAFETY COMMITTEE
September 9, 2002
(Revised September, 2008)

SAFETY COMMITTEE
A Standing Committee appointed by the Highland Lakes Flyers' Executive Board

MEMBERS

Club Safety Officer, who serves as Chairman, and the club's new pilot instructors.

PURPOSE

To achieve a high level of safe flying practices on the part of all flyers and insure that club members comply with all safety rules and regulations.

TERMS

The Safety Officer's term shall run concurrent with the term of his / her office.

AUTHORITY

The Safety Committee shall have the authority to suspend flight privileges for safety violators for periods of time deemed appropriate to the situation. The Committee shall also have the authority to impose certain restrictions on individual flyers where necessary to insure safe flying practices. These might include, but not be limited to, flying with a buddy box, or flying at the side of an advisor. Decisions of the Safety Committee shall be by majority vote of all Committee members and shall be binding on all club members. Any individual member of the Safety Committee may temporarily suspend flying privileges of any flyer if warranted, followed in a timely way by an incident report to the full Committee.

RESPONSIBILITIES

TRAINING

  • Develop and administer a plan for training new pilots, including designation of qualified instructors.

  • Monitor and evaluate each new pilot's training progress.

  • Determine when a trainee is ready for graduation to solo flying upon consideration of the instructor's recommendation and direct observation by at least two Committee members of the trainee's skills.

  • Provide advice and technical support for student pilots as well as all other pilots seeking to improve their skills.

TECHNICAL

  • Inspect and approve or disapprove all new models prior to initial flight.

  • Inspect and approve or disapprove all major repaired models before initial flight after repair.

FLYING FIELD SAFETY

  • Work closely with the club's Field Marshall to insure that flying field conditions are established and maintained in an optimum state of safety.

REGULATION OF NON-MEMBER PILOTS
When the occasion arises that a flyer, who is not a member of the club appears and requests solo flying privileges, it will be the responsibility of the Safety Committee to evaluate the individual's qualifications, including AMA membership, and flying skills before allowing solo flying. The guest flyer must be briefed on the club's rules and regulations before flying, and the guest's model must pass inspection by the Safety Committee. The guest flyer must sign the club's Guest Agreement. Guest flying privileges are extended only for a single occasion.
A non-member may fly with a qualified instructor on a buddy box on a one-time occasion basis only providing the instructor is in control of the model during landings and takeoffs.

ENFORCEMENT OF RULES AND REGULATIONS

  • Members of the Committee shall bear primary responsibility for insuring that all flyers adhere to both AMA's and the club's safety rules and regulations.

  • Members of the Committee shall take immediate steps to investigate all safety violations involving property damage and personal injury, as well as near misses to property and persons.

  • Members of the Committee shall bear primary responsibility for administering all applicable penalties whenever violations of the club's safety rules and regulations occur.

PENALTIES
Penalties may be required to bring members into compliance with the club's rules and regulations. These may include, but not be limited to: verbal or written warnings, requiring pilots to fly with an accompanying experienced advisor, requiring pilots to fly on a buddy box with a qualified instructor, temporary or permanent suspension of flying privileges, and expulsion from the club.

IMPOSITION OF PENALTIES FOR SAFETY VIOLATIONS

  • Warnings by any member of the Safety Committee may be issued verbally, or in writing, to any club member violating any of the club's rules and regulations.

  • When any club member begins to accumulate a series of violations, or establish a pattern of unsafe practices, the Safety Committee shall implement procedures, including penalties, to bring the member into compliance with established rules and regulations.

  • When any club member persistently fails to respond positively to the Safety Committee's recommendations for improvement, the Committee shall recommend involuntary termination of membership according to the club's bylaws.

IMPOSITION OF MANDATORY PENALTIES FOR CERTAIN SERIOUS SAFETY VIOLATIONS

  • If a flyer's model crashes into the flight staging area, the spectator area, or the parking area, that flyer's flight privileges shall be immediately and indefinitely suspended until the Safety Committee convenes, makes a determination of the cause of the accident, and assesses any penalties. Before resumption of flying activities, the Safety Committee must give the member clearance. If the flyer was a trainee, the instructor must participate in the Committee's incident assessment.

  • If a flyer's model causes property damage or personal injury, that flyer's flight privileges shall be immediately suspended until satisfactory financial restitution is made and the Safety Committee issues a clearance for resumption of flying activities.

  • Any member, whose flying privileges have been suspended, is prohibited from flying at any time under any circumstances until the Safety Committee restores those privileges.

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